Study finds wound photos engage patients more in their wound care

Patients who are able to view their wounds through photographic documentation tend to be more involved in the management of their wounds, according to a paper published in International Wound Journal.

The paper, Patient perception of wound photography, provides the first assessment of the benefits of wound photography from the patient’s perspective. It was written by Swift Medical Inc., chief medical officer Dr. Sheila Wang along with University of Toronto researchers John A.E. Anderson and Duncan V.B. Jones, as well as Robyn Evans from the Wound Care Centre at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, Canada.

Key findings from the study include:

Most patients have difficulty seeing their wounds and few patients monitor their wounds.

There is a significant link between the ease with which patients can view their wounds and their subsequent memory of how the wound appeared.

Patients’ ability to recall the appearance of their wounds declines drastically over time.

Majority of patients reported that taking photographs of their wounds allowed them to track and be more involved in the care of their wound, regardless of how difficult it is to see the wound.